Metropolis begins here -- A study of the Nanjing Road Outer Bund section in Shanghai

Author: Chang Qing, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: This book interprets the main historical information contained in the Nanjing Road Foreign Settlement section of Shanghai, one of the most influential commercial streets in modern China, from multiple observational perspectives at the intersection of spatial and cultural forms. This historical information not only reveals the reasons for the prosperity of this street but also provides profound insights for its revitalization. The typical historical characteristics of the Nanjing Road Foreign Settlement section closely followed the pulse of international and contemporary times, making it rare in the history of modern urban development that so many municipal electrification events and advanced service facilities were implemented and put into use so quickly in the same section. At the same time, this transformation was not only materialistic but also reflected in the spiritual level of urban civilization, such as respect for history and culture, the maintenance of social ethics, public order, and social rules, and the satisfaction of human psychological and behavioral needs, which are still the foundation of urban civilization today. The historical events and significance of municipal construction and commercial culture in the Nanjing Road Foreign Settlement section are sufficient to inspire multidirectional thinking about its future direction and prospects.
1. To sustain the advanced features of urban civilization, it is necessary to introduce advanced municipal services and commercial cultural facilities that align with the information age.
2. To appropriately select business models, it is essential to make accurate value judgments and functional positioning for each block, building, and its location, allowing land value to be fully realized, thereby achieving the overall goal of establishing a comprehensive service area for finance, business, culture, tourism, and other sectors in the Nanjing Road Foreign Settlement section.
3. To perfectly integrate commercial styles with architectural styles, making them conform to their unique spatial characteristics and cultural identity, it is necessary to use reasonable and feasible methods and approaches to integrate spatial resources, tidy up both internal and external landscapes, and restore the inherent correspondence between architectural functions and their forms. It is also essential to strive to protect and utilize the architectural heritage within these streets, delve into the long-forgotten cultural connotations of historical buildings, identify their "identity," and restore their "value." This book is conducted to carry out research and exploration for the above purposes.